Healing Love
by Larmyx
Summary: Sakura: promising young medical ninja whose heart has healed and body has become strong. Kakashi: the famous Copy Nin whose friends have all gone. Can the two find each other and fill the holes in each other's lives? SakuKaka, NaruHina, InoCho, ShikaTema
1. Simply Kakashi

Sakura was standing on a small pier on a lake, watching the sun set, the night before she was due to take her jounin exams. She smiled slightly. The sight of the sun sinking

slowly into the lake calmed the butterflies that had taken up residence in her belly.

"Sakura-chan," a voice came from behind Sakura, making her start. She whipped around to find the owner of the voice standing less than two feet from her."Kakashi-sensei!" she

yelled, her cheeks flushing bright pink both from embarrassment that he had managed to startle her so badly and from realization as to how close he was to her. She could even

hear his quiet, even breaths, he was standing so close.

"You shouldn't be sneaking up on people like that!" she scolded him, poking his chest to emphasize each word.

Kakashi smiled unashamedly, "Shouldn't you have sensed me anyway? After all, you are taking your jounin exams tomorrow, aren't you?"

Sakura blushed an even deeper pink, "Yes, I am," she admitted hesitantly, "but you are impossible to sense so quickly! You move like shadow, Kakashi-sensei!"

"You are soon to be a jounin, Sakura-chan," Kakashi reminded her, "I am hardly your sensei anymore."  
Sakura blinked, surprised at the sudden change in subject, "I suppose so, Kakashi-...san," she paused, looking uncomfortable, "It doesn't sound right."

Kakashi sighed. "I was thinking more along the lines of simply Kakashi," he admitted.

Sakura nodded. She felt much more at ease with that. She would have been mortified to have to call him 'Kakashi-kun', like she had Sasuke.

"Anyway, I came to wish you good luck on your exams," Kakashi said, looking out onto the shimmering lake. He glanced back at Sakura, "Did you come here to think?"

"Yes," Sakura said quietly, "It's relaxing."

Kakashi nodded. Moments passed as the two stood there silently, gazing out onto the lake, shimmering with streaks of gold and red as the sun set. Kakashi began humming

quietly.

Sakura glanced shyly at him as he hummed. She had never seen Kakashi like this. He seemed much more at peace than he normally was. Of course, he was always relaxed,

almost lazy even. His nonchalant attitude sometimes irritated Sakura to no end, especially when he couldn't bother make it to meetings on time. But this time was different.

This time, Kakashi seemed completely without care. Sakura smiled gently.

Kakashi opened his eyes and looked over at Sakura. "So, anyway, good luck, Sakura-chan," he said awkwardly, his embarrassment plain.

Sakura laughed, and then, suddenly, enfolded Kakashi in a huge hug. He stiffened in surprise and then relaxed, giving Sakura a rib-cracking squeeze of his own. She laughed

happily.

"Thank you, Kakashi."


	2. Hands

Sakura sat on the rail on the roof of her apartment building, her legs dangling freely over the edge. She breathed a relieved sigh, glad the day was over.

She had been a jounin for a couple months now and between the missions and working at the village hospital Sakura had little time to relax anymore. Her friends were equally busy. Naruto, a few months behind everyone else, was training for his own jounin exams, still determined to become Hokage. What little free time he had was spent with Hinata, who had finally admitted her feelings for Naruto to have them enthusiastically returned. Ino, though content at being a chunin, was busy with missions, too, along with working at her parents' flower shop. She was also spending a suspicious amount of time with her old-time teammate, Chouji. It could be that they were merely reminiscing. They had been teammates after all and their third teammate, Shikamaru, was practically living at the Sand Village nowadays. He was the Leaf's representative at the Sand Village, close allies of the Leaf Village. It helped that that was also the home of his sweetheart, fierce and obstinate Temari.

"They are all in love," Sakura said aloud, "Lucky them." She sighed.

"What's with all of the sighing, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi appeared on the rail beside Sakura.

Sakura yelped, practically falling off the railing. Kakashi grabbed the back of her shirt and hauled her back up onto her seat.

"You are so jumpy," he commented casually as Sakura brushed herself off briskly, clearly irritated.

"I wouldn't be so jumpy if you would stop sneaking up on me like that, Kakashi," she grumbled, running a hand through her hair. She realized her hair was still pulled back into the quick ponytail she wore when working in the hospital with Tsunade-sama. Sakura hurriedly pulled the elastic out of her hair, smoothing it down while Kakashi looked the other way.

"So, Kakashi," Sakura said after awhile of awkward silence. It was almost never like this with Kakashi. Conversation came easily to Sakura when she was around Kakashi in relaxed moments like this. But tonight, Kakashi seemed distracted, hesitant even.

"Sakura," Kakashi turned to Sakura and, grasping her hands, looked earnestly into her startled green eyes. The words were on his lips, ready to spill out. _I love you._ But just as he was about to say it, Kakashi pulled back at the last second.

"Take care of yourself on those missions, okay? You're not a chunin anymore. You're getting more dangerous missions." He let go of her hands. His own palms felt tingly and warm.

Sakura looked down at her hands, then back up at Kakashi, grinning placatingly.

"Kakashi, I've always been careful. And I'm used to difficult missions. Half of the missions we went on after Naruto came back were meant for jounins or higher!" she reminded him, feeling confused at his sudden concern.

Kakashi shrugged, at a loss for what to say. Sakura was right. She was more than capable of taking care of herself. He has never been too concerned for her safety. _She is strong_, he thought. He just needed something to say. He was too cowardly to admit what he was really feeling.

"Well, just be careful anyway." And with that, he was gone, leaving Sakura sitting alone and feeling thoroughly confused.

Sakura wiggled her fingers. Her hands felt warm and tingly, a strange, yet pleasant sensation.


	3. Wow

A week later, Sakura was walking through the woods during her lunch break. The woods were calm, a nice change from the bustling hospital. She walked out into a field and spotted Kakashi, perched on a brach of a tree, reading.

_This time, I'll catch him by surprise,_ Sakura thought slyly. She snuck up to the tree quickly and quietly. Kakashi was completely absorbed in his book.

"What are you reading, Kakashi?" she asked loudly, peering up from directly below him.

Kakashi was caught completely off guard. He almost fell off the branch before catching himself, upside down, on the underside of the branch.

"Sakura-chan!"

"Gotcha!" she exclaimed happily.

Kakashi's eye narrowed. He hopped down from the branch. "That's what you think," he said, advancing menacingly towards Sakura.

"Kakashi!" Sakura squealed. Kakashi lunged for her, but Sakura avoided him skillfully. Kakashi chased Sakura throughout the field, making playful threats while Sakura laughed merrily.

"Gotcha!" he cried victoriously, pulling Sakura out of the air as she leaped. His arms wrapped around Sakura's thin waist, trapping her. Sakura gasped as she was pulled down on top of Kakashi. Together they sat, Kakashi clutching Sakura tightly around her waist, Sakura leaning back against. They rested like this for a few minutes, neither one wanting to move.

"Sakura." "Kakashi." They spoke at the same time, but instead of stopping, they continued, both knowing what the other was about to say.

"I love you." Two voices said simultaneously. Sakura twisted around to face Kakashi, his arms still around her. Kakashi leaned in and Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips met hesitantly, then practically melded together.

Sakura's head felt light. Her mind whirled around in a million thoughts at first, then settled onto one thought alone, shutting everything else out. Kakashi's lips felt so perfect on hers, strong and smooth, moving in rhythm with hers.

Kakashi's arms tightened even more around Sakura's waist, her lips like velvet on his. In his mind, he decided his sole purpose for living was this: loving Sakura. Even if it wasn't right, even if she deserved someone much better, someone her age, he would still live and breathe on that purpose alone. He decided that he would do anything for her, even if it meant dying, or worse, letting her love someone else.

After five minutes of this, the two finally pulled apart.

"The hospital," Sakura gasped, out of breath and still feeling dizzy, "I have to get back."

"R-right." Kakashi let go of her hesitantly. Sakura stood shakily.

"Here." Kakashi hooked his arm through hers and guided her to the path back to the hospital.

The pair was silent as they walked through the trees. After a few minutes, Kakashi spoke up.

"Sakura, this is a mistake."

Sakura's head snapped up to stare at Kakashi. "Wha-What are you talking about?"

Kakashi couldn't look at her. "This. What happened back there. It-" he forced himself to continue, even though he felt like he was choking himself with his own words, "It isn't right. You deserve someone...your own age. Someone young who can keep up with you."

Sakura's body went numb, then cold. She tightened her grip on Kakashi's arm. "Someone...my own age?" she choked, disbelieving, "Do you remember what happened...when I 'fell' for someone my own age?"

Rage flooded through Kakashi's body at the mere thought of him. "Sasuke."

Sakura nodded, "Do you remember what he _did_? He abandoned our team. He..he broke my heart." That last part came out as a whisper. Sakura looked away, so Kakashi couldn't see her eyes fill up with tears.

Kakashi tightened his arm around Sakura's unconsciously. "I could've killed him for that," he stated simply, just barely containing his anger.

He was angry at Sasuke, yes. But was he so different? He had acted much in the same way Sasuke had when he was Sasuke's age. He had been moody, acted indifferent when Rin chased him, scorned Obito at times. What would he have done, if he had been in Sasuke's situation? He looked at Sakura, who kept her face averted from his hiding her tears. She didn't deserve to have her heart broken again.

"Sakura," he said kindly, placing a hand on her cheek and turning her face towards his. "I promise I won't do anything to hurt you. I promise. Anything you want, I'll do for you."

"Then don't leave me," she commanded, burying her face into Kakashi's chest. Kakashi's arms held her tightly, his face pressed onto the top of her head.

They stayed like this for what seemed like two seconds when it was really five minutes.

"Um...Kakashi?" Sakura's voice was muffled.

"Hmm?" Kakashi responded while thinking to himself, _Her hair smells like strawberries. Yum..._

"I think my lunch break is over," she told him, lifting her face from his chest.

"What? Oh! Yeah! Right." He released her. They had been standing by the back door of the hospital the entire time. Sakura reached up and kissed Kakashi on the cheek.

"Bye," she said and then walked through the hospital door. Kakashi stood, somewhat stunned, watching until the door swung closed.

"Wow."


	4. Good

The two continued meeting secretly for the next couple of months in between missions, both hesitant to let other people know about their relationship. Sakura was especially worried about what Lady Tsunade would say. She didn't want her to think that she was a silly, weak-willed girl who liked older men. And, in her defense, she didn't like older men. Just Kakashi. She hardly even looked at other boys since that day in the field.

Kakashi simply was worried for Sakura's sake. He didn't care what other people thought, he never had. But he didn't want Sakura getting any trouble from any one over this. The gossipers in Konoha would have a field day if word got out and that might hurt her reputation.

One night Sakura went to meet Kakashi on the rooftop of her apartment building. He reading the newest edition of the Icha Icha series given to him specially by Jiraiya, a week before the book was to be released. He was delighted with the gift and Sakura was happy as well. She had 'convinced' Jiraiya to give Kakashi a copy as a gift, ensuring him how thrilled Kakashi would be with the present. Jiraiya was more than willing to comply after Sakura had a long 'discussion' with him.

"Still reading?" she asked playfully, placing her hands over Kakashi's on the edges of the book, closing it firmly while she held Kakashi's gaze with her eyes.

Kakashi's visible eye glittered with excitement, "It's a thrilling story line, Sakura! The characters are simply genius! And-" Sakura put a finger on his lips to stop him. She reached up to kiss him gently on the lips.

"And?" she asked softly.

"And...I'm...wondering about the ending..," Kakashi said uncertainly. He looked down at the book in his hand and then up at Sakura's disapproving frown. He tossed the book aside. "Never mind."

Sakura's face lit up with a grin as Kakashi pulled her into a long, warm kiss. A cool breeze rippled through the night air, causing Sakura to shiver. Kakashi's arms held her more tightly to him, kissing her neck and hair.

"Is that warmer for you?" he asked softly. Sakura could only nod as she rubbed her cheek against his, breathing softly into his ear. Suddenly a crash echoed out from the alley below.

"Lee! Calm down!" Naruto's voice cried out. They could hear Lee yelling and babbling slurred nonsense as he, from the sound of it, began tearing into a brick wall. Sakura and Kakashi peered over the roof's edge.

Lee was down in the alley, punching and kicking the alley wall, yelling about defeating a foe and the victory of youth and some other nonsense. He was oblivious to the two ninja in the alley with him, trying (and failing) to calm him down, or at least restrain him.

"Naruto!" Neji was the other ninja down there with Naruto and Lee. He lunged for Lee's arms and was kicked out of the way. "Grab his legs!"

"His legs?! Are you nuts? No way! Is there any way we can knock him out or something?"

"No, don't be stupid!" Neji sounded frustrated. "I told you to keep an eye on him! He shouldn't have alcohol!"

"Oh, relax! We were celebrating! Besides, shouldn't he know better than to drink?"

"With Lee, you can't tell," Neji grumbled as he tried to grab ahold of Lee's legs. "Where is Master Gai when you need him?"

Sakura leaned forward, readying herself to leap down there and help. Kakashi held her back.

"Let me do it," he said, observing the situation below, already mapping out a plan.

"But-" Sakura protested. Kakashi shook his head.

"We don't want to destroy half the city in the process, do we?" Kakashi grinned while Sakura pouted. He had a point. She would have a hard time keeping a handle on her immense strength in this situation.

"We'll both go down," she told him firmly.

"No," Kakashi whispered, equally firm, "They'll wonder why we were so conveniently close AND together. Especially so late at night. How will we explain that to them?"

Sakura pulled back. Once again, he was right. She wasn't ready to reveal their relationship to anyone yet. She still wasn't sure how certain people would react and how she would handle it yet. She pouted while Kakashi leaped down to help Naruto and Neji contain Rock Lee.

They never were able to grab ahold of Lee completely without him freeing himself again, but they were able to keep him within the small alley before the effects of the sake wore off. Kakashi instructed Naruto and Neji to carry Lee straight home to his apartment. Sakura snorted quietly at this. Naruto would have an issue with going 'straight home'. No more fun for him. She sat atop the roof, waiting for Kakashi to rejoin her, her arms folded impatiently. Little did she know that Neji heard her small huff and he was not so stupid or oblivious to ignore the fact that Kakashi had been very conveniently located. Why on earth would Kakashi be on an apartment rooftop near an abandoned alley in the middle on the night. Unless there was someone up there with him.

"Byakugan," Neji whispered under his breath. He gazed up at the roof top and spotted a familiar figure sitting with her arms crossed, waiting for something...or someone.

"Neji," Naruto's voice broke through Neji's concentration, "What're you waiting for? Let's go."

"Right," Neji nodded turning away from Sakura, "Let's go."

Sakura, unaware of that Neji had seen her, continued to wait as Naruto and Neji, half-carrying Lee, disappeared down the street. After awhile, when Kakashi didn't appear, Sakura began to worry.

"Kakashi?" she called, leaning over the edge to catch sight of her lover sitting in a corner, his back to the wall. He was breathing heavily.

"Kakashi!" Sakura cried, leaping down from the roof. She rushed over to him, supporting him as he stood up.

He waved her off. "I'm fine. Just tired. I shouldn't have jumped into that so quickly after an intense mission."

"Intense mission?" Sakura asked worriedly, "How intense?" she wondered.

"Not too bad. But hard enough and I over-stressed myself when I jumped in to help those boys with Lee. I'm getting too old for this," he sighed.

Sakura frowned as she helped him sit down again. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek, checking him over.

"Other than exhaustion, do you have any other symptoms? Any injuries I should know about?" she raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Kakashi who put up his hands in defense.

"Nothing else, I promise. And I know what can make me all better, too," he gave Sakura a sidelong look and grinned hopefully.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Oh, alright." She fell into Kakashi's arms and gave him a long, passionate kiss.

"That was close," Sakura murmured against Kakashi's lips. She pulled away and put her hands on Kakashi's shoulders. "People are going to find out sooner or later. What will we tell them?" she asked worriedly.

"Well, that we're in love, I guess," Kakashi shrugged, pulling Sakura against his chest. Sakura rested there, feeling his firm muscles through his thin cotton shirt. She slid her hand up his chest, feeling his heart beat. She seemed to be thinking hard about something.

"If this gets too hard or stressful for you, Sakura, we can always, you know, just stop this," Kakashi slid a gentle hand under her chin and pulled her face up to look him in the eye.

Sakura bit her lip and met Kakashi's eyes, her emerald eyes shining, "Kakashi, do you love me?" she asked softly.

Kakashi's heart stopped momentarily. _She thinks I don't love her?_ He thought wildly. She probably thought that this was just a quick fling to him. _I could never use her like that._ But it wasn't surprising, that Sakura was worried about this. She had been used in such a way before.

"Of course I do," Kakashi told her in a fierce whisper, "I will never feel any differently for you."

Sakura's face lit up with a true smile. "Good," she said as she laid her head on Kakashi's shoulder. Kakashi held her tightly, rocking her as she drifted slowly off to sleep.

_Good._ Kakashi thought as he stood, holding Sakura carefully. He leaped up to the ledge outside Sakura's window and gently laid her in her bed, brushing some stray hairs off her face.

_Good._


	5. Concentrate

Kakashi and Sakura managed to keep their relationship a secret for two more years. Each time they passed in the streets, met up at meetings, saw each other in public, Sakura felt a small pang in her heart that she and Kakashi couldn't share their affection for each other like other couples did. She wanted to be able to hold his hand in the streets like Naruto and Hinata did. She wanted to feed him little bits of barbecue in a booth for two like Ino and Chouji did. She wanted to give him that sweet goodbye kiss just as he was going off on a mission like Temari gave Shikamaru. She loved their secret meetings and their hidden passion. But Sakura also longed for those little romantic things that everyone else was able to enjoy.

Sakura gradually grew more and more antsy as their relationship progressed. She was now certain that Kakashi was the one. He made her whole. The little hole that had formed in her heart when Sasuke left had been more than filled when Kakashi confessed his love for her. It had been overflowed. She became the best she could be when she was with Kakashi. She loved him heart and soul. It was the perfect partnership except...

Sakura couldn't share her joy with anyone else. Of course Kakashi was enough, more than enough for her. She knew he loved her as wholeheartedly as she him. But Sakura wanted to have other people notice. She wanted to giggle and talk and complain jokingly with her girlfriends about Kakashi and their boyfriends. And most importantly, she felt like she was betraying Lady Tsunade, keeping this from her. Sakura hated having secrets from her master.

Sakura brooded to herself as she sat on the rooftop of the hospital on her break. Kakashi was on a mission with some of the other jounin, including Gai and Anko. Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust at the thought of Anko. She didn't like the female ninja. She dressed a little too trashy for Sakura's tastes and was really rude._ Her boobs are also bigger then mine,_ Sakura thought, a little enviously. Although, when asked, Kakashi seemed to express a reverent admiration for Sakura's breasts.

Sakura shook her head. She was getting distracted. Anyway, they were going to have to tell everyone eventually. Lady Tsunade's birthday was coming up. She and Shizune were planning a party at Hoshi's Barbecue, the nicest restaurant in the village. They were going to invite all of Tsunade's friends, and some of their friends, too (Tsunade didn't have THAT many friends): Naruto, Hinata (who won't go if Naruto doesn't), Ino, Chouji, Shikamaru, Temari (who doesn't care whether Shikamaru goes, and doesn't care about Tsunade's birthday either, but what the hell), Kiba ( plus Akamaru, that goes without saying), Shino, Neji, Tenten (_maybe they can come out about their secret relationship, too_, Sakura thought.), Rock Lee (everyone would make doubly sure he didn't even _breathe_ on some sake), Kakashi (Sakura would make SURE he would show up on time), Gai, Kurenai (who probably wouldn't come anyway, she has a baby to worry about), Anko (Sakura gagged at the thought of it--her), Iruka, and, finally, of course, Jiraiya (Sakura would drag him to the party if she had to). Everyone would be there. That would be the perfect place for Sakura and Kakashi to announce their relationship. It was going to be in three days. Kakashi would be back from his mission then, too. Sakura rested her chin on her knees. Yes, that would be perfect.

Kakashi jumped from branch to branch, pushing himself as hard as he could. Their mission had been concluded early, so the rest of the team was taking their time heading back. Well, Anko was taking her time. She always did. She wasn't the most energetic person. Gai was rushing from branch to branch in his usual show-off behavior. He was charged with the energy of youth and life. But Kakashi was genuinely hurrying. He was thrilled to be finished early. He wanted to get back to the village to meet up with Sakura. He needed to prepare for what he was planning on doing. Lady Tsunade's birthday would be the perfect place to do it, too.

The day of Tsunade's birthday dinner, Sakura woke early, charged with nervous energy. She felt strangely eager to get this all over with. She and Kakashi had talked about it the night before, just as he returned early from his mission. He actually seemed nervous when Sakura had last talked with him. _Maybe he's just afraid of what people are going to say,_ Sakura thought. _Well it doesn't matter! Shikamaru and Temari are together and Temari's three years older than Shikamaru! People don't make a fuss about them! Well, Kakashi is thirteen years older than...well, it doesn't matter!_ Sakura argued silently. _I'm nineteen years old! I'm old enough to make decisions by myself. My parents are going to have a fit, though...I'm going to go plan Lady Tsunade's birthday party, maybe I should concentrate._ Sakura poured herself a glass of orange juice and downed it in one gulp before marching out her door.

Kakashi woke with the same buzzed nervousness Sakura had. He went to his kitchen and got out some milk and cereal. He began pouring milk into a bowl while he fiddled with the little velvet box resting in his pocket. _Tonight is the night, _he thought nervously. _I'm going to do it tonight, I love her. I want her to be mine forever. But what if she decides she doesn't want an old man like me anymore? What if she decides she likes Sasuke better and runs off to find him again? What if she says yes, but her parents and Lady Tsunade say no? What if everyone freaks out when they find out about us? What if she doesn't like the ring? What if..? _Milk began to spill onto Kakashi's lap. The bowl in front of him was overflowing. _I'm going to propose to Sakura tonight. Maybe I should concentrate._

Jiraiya got up in the morning feeling pretty normal. Except for the killer headache he had from last night's 'research'. He went into the kitchen and made himself some tea. _I really like prostitutes,_ he thought simply.


	6. Us?

That night, Sakura stood at the door of the restaurant, greeting guests and taking presents. Naruto arrived first with a thin, square box wrapped in ramen wrapping paper.

"Classy," Sakura told him sarcastically, taking the gift and placing it on the counter behind her.

"I know!" Naruto responded enthusiastically, "I bought a whole roll at half-price at IchiRaku's!"

Hinata was not far behind, holding a small silver box. "Hello, Sakura," she said quietly, handing her gift to her.

"Hi, Hinata," Sakura greeted her, smiling.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted from the back of the room. He raced over and hugged Hinata around the waist, lifting her into the air.

"N-naruto!" she cried, unable to hide the giant smile on her face. She giggled happily and quickly kissed Naruto on the forehead, her cheeks a bright pink.

Sakura shook her head, smiling a little, and turned to her next guest. Shino and Kiba stood next to each other, holding a giant box wrapped in yellow wrapping paper with dogs and bugs on it. Akamaru sat mournfully outside. Sakura had issued an ultimatum. Akamaru stays outside.

"For the old lady," Kiba grunted, "Where do we put it?"

"Um..why don't you put it over there?" Sakura pointed out the spot, then said, "From the both of you?"

"No," Shino croaked, groaning under the weight of the package, "Kiba just needed help carrying it. My present can't be wrapped."

"Okay," Sakura turned and almost smacked into Lee who was holding a large crock pot full of something that bubbled and steamed and--Sakura leaned over to sniff the substance--ugh!--smelled terrible.

"What IS that?" Sakura cried, cringing.

"The Curry of LIFE!" Lee announced proudly, "The best present I know to give! I ran three times as fast as I normally do in order to get this for Lady Tsunade!"

"Great, Lee!" Sakura exclaimed weakly. Her nose was still burning from the smell of the stuff. She caught a glance of Akamaru outside. The poor dog had simply passed out from the smell of it. " Why don't you put that in the kitchen?"

Lee carried his gift proudly into the kitchen. Sakura could heard the groans of the rest of the guests as Lee passed them on the way to the kitchen. Sakura turned back to the door. Neji and Tenten just walked in. They sniffed the air and, practically in unison, gagged.

"Lee..brought the Curry of Life, didn't he?" TenTen choked. Neji was practically having a seizure. Tears were streaming down his face. The memory of the curry was almost too much for him.

"Oh, Neji!" TenTen cried, grabbing his shoulder and guiding him to the bathroom. She threw a present at Sakura, "Here's our present for Lady Tsunade!" She yelled over her shoulder. Sakura raised an eyebrow and turned. She almost smacked into a large green presence that had been standing very close behind her.

"Ahh!" she screamed. It was Gai.

"The party can begin! The handsome green beast of Konoha is here!!" Gai bellowed, striking a pose. Sakura closed her eyes in order to prevent herself from looking where she didn't want to look. Gai's jumpsuit was unpleasantly tight, much to the dismay of most of the girls around him.

"That's great," Sakura said, trying to blindly shoo him into the main hall where everyone else was. She opened her eyes after he was gone and spied Anko, dressed to her skimpy-est and escorted by the two guard ninja of Konoha, ... and...

"Yo." was all Anko said as she waltzed past Sakura, dragging her unfortunate escorts with her.

"Hello, Sakura," was all they could manage to say before they were dragged out of sight.

Sakura shook her head and turned. Ino and Chouji were standing in front of her. Chouji had one arm holding Ino gently around the waist and one arm clutching a bag of potato chips.

"Hey, forehead," Ino greeted Sakura jokingly.

"Hey, Sakura," Chouji smiled at Sakura, his mouth full of chips.

"Hey, you guys," Sakura said, smiling, "Chouji, you know there's going to be plenty of barbecue pork at the party, don't you want to save room for all that pork?"

"Yeah, c'mon, Chouji!" Ino exclaimed, leaning across him to reach for the chips.

"Hey! Ino!" Chouji yelped, holding the chips just out of reach. "Hey, there's just one left. You want it, Ino?"

Ino paused, "Sure." She closed her eyes and opened her mouth as Chouji gently placed the chip in my mouth. She chewed and swallowed. "Hey, this is my favorite flavor chip! Thanks, baby," she kissed Chouji gently on the lips before remembering that Sakura was still there. She straightened. "Yeah, well, anyway, here's our present," she threw a small envelope to Sakura. Sakura caught it and placed it on top of Naruto's present. Iruka entered the restaurant, holding two presents.

"This one's from Kurenai," he explained, "She couldn't find a babysitter for tonight."

"Right," Sakura replied, taking the presents from him. Shikamaru and Temari arrived just as Iruka walked into the dining room beyond.

"Hey," Shikamaru raised a lazy hand in greeting. He held a small present loosely by his side in the other. Temari placed a hand on his shoulder with some difficulty--Shikamaru's shoulder stood at the same level as Temari's ear--and gave him a slight shove.

"Well, give the present to her, dummy!" she ordered, hands on her hips. She gave Sakura her usual sarcastic grin. "He would have been late if I wasn't around. I found him sitting on top of a building admiring clouds thirty minutes before the party!"

Shikamaru sighed and muttered, "Troublesome woman." But he gave Temari a slight grin and slid an arm around her waist as they walked by Sakura into the dining room. Sakura watched them, slightly envious. _After tonight, Kakashi will be able to do that to me in public. _

Kakashi arrived wearing his normal turtleneck shirt minus the standard vest and a pair of nice black dress pants. He was carrying a orange and yellow striped gift. He looked at Sakura, seeming somewhat chagrined.

"Am I late?" he asked sheepishly. Sakura took the present from him and placed it on top of Kiba's humongous box.

"No, everyone's arrived except for Jiraiya," Sakura said simply, struggling to keep herself from looking at him. She didn't know if she would be able to control herself if she did. Kakashi leaned in close to her for a quick kiss. Sakura looked back at the dining room where everyone was mingling and chatting. No one was looking. She allowed Kakashi to place a light kiss on her lips before pulling quickly away, still afraid of being caught. Kakashi nodded and strolled casually into the dining room, his hands shoved into his pockets. Sakura was careful not to watch him as he walked away, waiting until he was gone to sag against the table of presents and sigh, her cheeks flushed pink.

The two assumed that their secret kiss hadn't been seen by anyone. But just as Sakura was checking over her shoulder to make sure no one was looking, Neji and TenTen stepped out of the bathroom. TenTen's eyes widened as she saw Sakura and Kakashi kiss and she might have said something, or gasped, but Neji's hand covered her mouth and pulled her back into the bathroom where the pair watched through the cracked door.

TenTen spun, her back to the wall. "Omygosh! Sakura and Kakashi!"

Neji nodded seriously, "Yes."

TenTen looked at him closely, "You knew about this?"

"I guessed," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

"Wow," TenTen let her breath out in a rush, "How long, do you think?" she asked.

"Two years," Neji told her. Then he told the story of what he had seen that night with Naruto and Lee. TenTen whistled.

"Wow," she said again, "What do we do?"

"What do we do? Nothing! This is none of our business, TenTen."

"I suppose you're right," TenTen said. She paused, "How many people do you think know about us?" she asked.

"Us?" Neji said as he walked past TenTen out of the bathroom. TenTen opened her mouth to say something, then sighed and followed Neji out into the dining room.


	7. Cake

Everyone had arrived by now except for Jiraiya and Tsunade. Shizune was going to bring Lady Tsunade in through the front door any minute. Sakura looked at the clock on the wall of the restaurant. She looked back. Everyone was laughing and chatting as they listened or danced to the music in the background.

"Where is he?" Sakura asked aloud, somewhat impatiently. Jiraiya had promised her that morning that he would show. She spotted Shizune leading Lady Tsunade up the street to the restaurant. Well, they would have to go on without him. Sakura raced into the dining room. She waved her hands to get the guests' attention.

"Lady Tsunade's coming!" she announced. Everyone quieted down and waited. The door opened to reveal Shizune and Lady Tsunade.

"Happy Birthday, Lady Hokage!" They all shouted. With some variations among the guests. Naruto had shouted, "Happy Birthday, Granny Tsunade!" Anko had mumbled something through the sake in her mouth.

Tsunade's mouth dropped open, but, before she could say a world, Kiba and Shino brought the giant gift into the dining room. Naruto jumped in front of the box and, facing Lady Tsunade, he announced:

"An absolutely priceless gift for your birthday, Granny Tsunade!"

Just then, the top of the box exploded open in a shower of confetti and ribbons and out popped...

Jiraiya.

Tsunade's mouth popped open. She was stunned speechless. Sakura was shocked, too, but her shock was gradually turning into anger. Of all the stupid stunts to pull! Kiba and Naruto were cracking up at the look on Tsunade's face while Jiraiya, wearing a very small pair of black boxers and a green ribbon tied around his waist, strutted around the room. Hinata and some of the other female guests were blushing furiously at Jiraiya's show-offy poses and lack of clothing. Gai was exclaiming loudly about how great it was to see the exuberance of youth displayed so boldly. Kakashi had been laughing quietly behind a hand until he saw Sakura's murderous glare. He assumed the expression of one at a funeral. Anko was flirting and showing off with Jiraiya, doing a little booty dance while Jiraiya and some of the other guys hooted and hollered. Shizune had sat down in the nearest chair as soon as she had caught sight of Jiraiya. Her face was buried in her hands and she muttered about indecency, etc,etc...

Jiraiya strutted up to Tsunade, who was still standing shock-still in the dining room doorway. Jiraiya leaned down to her and smacked his lips.

"How 'bout a kiss, Birthday Girl?" he grinned his lecherous smirk. Tsunade blinked and seemed to come round a bit.

"Oh, sure," she said sweetly, "Close your eyes." Jiraiya obeyed. Tsunade puckered her lips and they were about to kiss when...

POW. Tsunade's fist came flying out of nowhere and caught Jiraiya's cheek in a left hook. Jiraiya went flying across the dining room. He smashed into the other side of the room and crumpled on the floor.

"What a...kiss.." he moaned dazedly. Naruto and Kiba were cracking up. Sakura's shadow loomed over them. Their laughter slowly faded as they stared up at Sakura's furious expression.

"H-hey, S-sakura," Naruto stammered. That was as far as he got.

POW. POW. Naruto and Kiba hit the wall and crumpled on the floor beside Jiraiya. Hinata yelped and ran over to the victims.

"Naruto-kun!" she cried. She picked up Naruto's head and laid it in her lap. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I am now," Naruto said, closing his eyes. He turned his head and winked at Kiba. Kiba was outraged.

"What about me, Hinata? Aren't you going to ask if I'm alright, too? I'm your teammate! And besides I got the worst of it. He-hey! Hinata! Are you even listening?" Hinata had her back turned to Kiba, helping Naruto limp back to his seat. She hadn't even heard him.

The party continued as usual. The guests mingled for awhile longer while they congratulated Tsunade and wished her a happy birthday. Kiba eventually got the feeling back in his arms and was able to make it back to his seat with the help of his other teammate, Shino. Needless to say, Kiba was slightly less grateful to Shino than he would have been to Hinata. Shino left Kiba slumped into a solitary chair in a huff.

Sakura walked around, chatted with guests, thanked them for coming. As she went, she was strategically planning her path so as to 'accidently' bump into Kakashi. At the same time, Kakashi talked to Gai about their latest mission by the punch bowl. As Sakura neared, seemingly for a cup of punch, Kakashi quickly distracted Gai.

"Bet you that you can't win a game of hide-and-go-seek: ninja style," Kakashi told him.

"Oh, yes I can!" Gai's chest puffed out, looking ridiculously proud.

"Fine, you go hide and I'll count. Whoever loses has to admit it in front of the entire party later."

"Done!" Gai raced off in search of a hiding spot while Kakashi counted.

"ONE, TWO, Three, Four, Fi--Hello, Sakura," Kakashi greeted her pleasantly.

"Kakashi, are you actually going to go look for him? Sakura asked.

Kakashi grinned at her through his mask, "What do you think?"

Sakura shook her head. "You amaze me."

"You amaze me, too," Kakashi told her softly.

Sakura shook her head again, more firmly this time. "Now is not a good time for that. Lady Tsunade doesn't take surprises well, especially not one after another."

"Fine. But we did agree that tonight was the night," Kakashi reminded Sakura gently, his voice low.

Sakura nodded, looking down.

Kakashi patted her shoulder, looking like a teacher giving his student some sage bit of advice. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

"But what if it isn't fine?" Sakura asked.

"Then we'll have each other. I appreciate you taking this risk for me, Sakura," Kakashi whispered, looking Sakura in the eye. He smiled hesistantly at her.

Sakura grinned slightly back. "Thanks, Kakashi."

"Alright, everyone!" Shizune stood at the front of the room, holding a huge cake with expert balance. "Happy birthday to you," she started singing. Everyone joined in.

"...Happy birthday to you, happy birthday Lady Hokage! Happy birthday to you!"

Shizune set the cake down in front of Tsunade. It was a square white cake with a giant frosting slug and the words _Happy Birthday, Lady Hokage! _on it in red.

Tsunade blew out the one giant candle on the cake (no one knew how old she was actually turning. Except Jiraiya, but Tsunade had threatened him within an inch of his life not to reveal that confidential information.)

Sakura hurried to help Shizune and Tsunade cut up the cake and hand it out to the guests. Chouji came back four times before Ino stopped him. When Jiraiya finally hobbled his way over to the table, Tsunade was standing there with his piece ready.

"Here you go," Tsunade held out a large piece of cake. Jiraiya, already forgetting how sneaky his old teammate was, lunged for the cake.

"Why, thank you, Tsunade!" he cried.

"Why, you're welcome, Jiraiya!" Tsunade yelled, slamming the cake into his face.

There was silence as the entire party stared at Tsunade, holding a suspiciously empty plate, and Jiraiya, with slug frosting all over his face. Jiraiya broke the silence by shouting, "Well, oh yeah? Take this, you big old slug!" and smashing Tsunade's face into the remaining third of cake.

Tsunade's head snapped up immediately. Frosting clung to her bangs, her eyebrows, it was smeared all over her cheeks. "I am NOT a big OLD slug!" she screamed back. Tsunade picked up a slice of cake and threw it at Jiraiya. Jiraiya swerved to avoid it and laughed at Tsunade, sticking out his tongue.

"Missed me!" he taunted. Tsunade's next throw hit him square in the chest.

"Did not!" Tsunade laughed, ducking as Jiraiya slammed cake down onto her head. Eventually, most everyone had joined in on their little food fight. Cake was flying everywhere while the owner of the restaurant looked on and moaned. His restaurant was being destroyed.

Sakura and Kakashi used this opportunity to sneak out to a back hallway. Sakura wiped frosting out of her eyes. Naruto had blindsided her on her way out. Kakashi took a scoop of frosting and dabbed some on Sakura's nose.

"Kakashi!" Sakura squealed in protest, going to wipe the icing of her nose. Kakashi caught her hands.

"Wait," he ordered her, then leaned down and kissed Sakura's nose, licking most of the frosting off.

Tingles ran up and down Sakura's body. "Wait, Kakashi," she stood on tiptoe and wrapped her arms around his neck, "There's still some on your lips." She gleefully removed the frosting for him. Kakashi wrapped his arms around Sakura's petite waist and they spent the next five minutes gleefully kissing the icing off of each others faces.

Meanwhile, the food--er--cake fight continued. Anko aimed some cake at Hinata. Hinata clenched and waited for the impact, but it didn't come. Naruto was standing in front of Hinata, cake splattered across his back. Hinata squealed, "Naruto-kun!" and, throwing her arms around him, gave him one giant thank-you kiss. Naruto never looked so happy to be a rescuer.

Chouji had happily joined in on the fight, eating the ammo along the way. Ino was perched on his shoulders, using her heightened advantage to chuck chunks of cake at the unfortunate victims below.

"Chouji!" Ino scolded, "Stop eating the ammo!"

Chouji looked up, "Oh, I'm sorry, Ino. Would you like a taste?" He looked down at his empty hands and then back up at his girlfriend, "Sorry."

"No problem," Ino replied deviously. She leaned down and kissed Chouji hard. When she resurfaced, Ino licked her lips.

"Wow," she said, "That is good."

Shikamaru had been sitting in his chair the entire time, muttering about how troublesome birthdays were until Temari popped up from behind him and dumped cake onto his head.

"Lazybones!" she taunted him. Shikamaru stood up and, with lightening speed, caught Temari around the waist and hoisted her up on his shoulders.

"Hey!" she yelled, "Put me down, you lummox!"

"No," Shikamaru replied, "You want me to do this."

Temari choked, "Excuse me? I do not!"

"Yes, you do," he said matter-of-factly, "You have been a jounin far longer than I have. Your strategic planning is almost as good as mine. Your strength definitely excels mine. You're also faster than me, even if by a little bit. You could have easily avoided me, broken my hold, or attacked from a different angle." He put her down, "But you didn't. Face it, you planned this."

Temari made a face. "Nobody likes a smartass," she told Shikamaru, folding her arms.

Shikamaru shrugged, "But you do," he stated simply.

Temari grinned, "Yeah, I do," She wrapped her arms around Shikamaru and practically glued her face to his. "You win this round," she muttered, not completely giving up.

Shikamaru smiled, "I'll accept that."

While everyone looked like they were having a good time, Tsunade and Jiraiya were clearly having the most fun, ducking and throwing cake at each other. Jiraiya loomed in on Tsunade, cackling evilly. Tsunade saw him at the last second and quickly turned to make her escape. Jiraiya caught her around the waist just as she bolted for cover.

"Gotcha!" he bellowed triumphantly. Tsunade turned in his gasp, ready to give him the old one-two. Their noses touched.

"Uh-ummm..." Tsunade blushed and looked away.

"Uh-ulp.." Jiraiya, for once, didn't have anything to say. He looked down at his hands around Tsunade's waist.

"Oh!" He quickly let go of Tsunade's waist. She stumbled a couple steps away from him and turned, breathing hard. Jiraiya felt guilty almost instantly.

"Tsunade--" he said, starting after her. He was met with a fistful of cake.

"Ha-ha! Let your guard down!" Tsunade yelled, racing away before Jiraiya could come to his senses.

"H-hey!" Jiraiya yelled, chasing after her.


	8. Healing Love

Eventually everyone calmed down enough for Shizune to bring out Tsunade's presents.

"Okay!" Tsunade grabbed a present and looked up at everyone sitting back down at the table. "Where's Sakura? And Kakashi's gone, too."

Everyone looked at each other. "I haven't seen them since the food fight started," Naruto spoke up.

Back in the back hallway, Sakura and Kakashi froze at the sound of their names. Quickly they straightened their clothes and smoothed their hair before they stepped out into the hallway. Sakura grabbed two brooms just as they stepped out into the room.

"We're here!" Sakura chirped nervously. She smiled a toothy smile when everyone's heads swiveled to stare at them.

"Where were you?" Tsunade asked, looking confused.

"Oh! Uh, Kakashi was helping me get brooms! To clean up with!" Sakura exclaimed, shoving one of the brooms into Kakashi's arms. She turned serious, "I mean, have you _seen_ this room? It's covered in frosting and crumbs! The poor owner is having a heart attack in the kitchen. But," Sakura threw the broom behind her, "since you're opening presents already, we'll wait 'til after the party's over to clean up."

"Oh-okay," Shizune said, surprised. Sakura was plenty responsible, it was reasonable that she would look for a way to clean up the mess, but Kakashi? She shrugged, "Well, hurry up and sit down. We want to see what Lady Tsunade got."

Kakashi and Sakura hurried to take their seats. "Quick thinking," Kakashi muttered appreciatively through his teeth.

"Thanks," Sakura responded, barely moving her lips. She sat down in her seat of the left side of Tsunade, opposite of Shizune. Kakashi sat between Naruto and Iruka. Iruka looked skeptically at Kakashi.

"Clean? You?" he asked quietly while Tsunade ripped the wrapping off her first present. Kakashi glared at Iruka.

"Yes. Clean," he said firmly before turning back to watch Tsunade admire the foot tub the absent Kurenai had gotten her.

Tsunade went through a couple more presents as everyone watched. Hinata had gotten her a picture on a scroll for her office, Iruka had gotten her coupons for a weekend's stay at a fancy resort hotel ("A vacation for you means a vacation for me," Iruka had muttered when Tsunade opened his gift.), Neji and TenTen had gotten her boxing gloves ("TenTen's idea," Neji remarked when Naruto and Kiba smirked at him.), Ino and Chouji had gotten her a gift card for all-you-can-eat barbecued pork ("Chouji's idea," Ino defended herself when Sakura and Hinata looked at her.), and Shikamaru and Temari had gotten her a strategic planning board complete with little ninja pieces. Tsunade choked when she got to Lee's gift.

"The best gift I can give!" Lee repeated. Tsunade gagged and nodded. "Th-thanks," she managed to say. Lee looked very proud.

Shino got up and announced his present: he was going to conduct a bug orchestra. He had sections of crickets, flies, bees, and whistling beetles. They performed some of the classics: Beethoven, Bach, Pachebel. Everyone was clapping and shouting "Bravo!" when Tsunade reached for the last present. It was Naruto's.

"Oh, how nice, Naruto!" Tsunade exclaimed. She ripped the wrapping off the present and lifted the top off of the box. She froze. Jiraiya, who was sitting next to Shizune, on Tsunade's right side, leaned over and peeked into the box. He guffawed.

"Thanks, kiddo!" he high-fived Naruto, then turned to Tsunade, "C'mon, Tsunade, model 'em for us!"

Everyone else looked confused until Tsunade lifted a giant pink-and-black lacy bra out of the box.

"Size...," Tsunade paused, before continuing, "X."

Some of the more perverted guys were choking on leftover cake, their faces turning bright red. Other guests were having a hard time keeping their laughter in. The hilarity only mounted when Tsunade lifted a matching thong out of the box, along with a pair of stainless steel handcuffs and lacy blindfold.

"For you, Pervy Sage," Naruto winked and elbowed Jiraiya in the side. Jiraiya only nodded. His imagination was causing spouts of blood to flow out of both his nostrils.

"Narutoooo," Tsunade was now glaring at Naruto. Steam was practically coming out of her ears, she looked so angry. If looks could kill, Naruto would be a little pile of ash on the floor right at that moment.

"N-now, come on, Granny Tsunade, it was just a joke!" Naruto put his hands up in front of him as if he could shield off what Tsunade was about to do to him.

"ARRRGH!" Tsunade's fist hooked around and smashed Naruto around the head. Naruto went flying across the room, out into the main hallway, through the front door, and out into the street. He landed on Akamaru who did not take it kindly that Naruto had woken him up from his nap. Snarls and yelps echoed from the street. Hinata and Iruka went running out into the street to see if Naruto was okay followed by Kiba who wanted to see if Akamaru was okay. The rest of the guests ran out after them to watch. Tsunade, pulling Jiraiya out by the ear, stormed out of the restaurant, steaming. Eventually only Sakura and Kakashi were left staring at each other.

"So much for the perfect opportunity," Sakura said. Kakashi shrugged. Tsunade's angry bellows carried into the restaurant. Sakura and Kakashi ran out into the street to find Tsunade winding up to give Naruto another one. She was really angry. At this time, everyone was pleading with her, trying to calm her down. Sakura knew better. Desperate times called for desperate measures. So, without thinking twice about it, Sakura ran out into the street, in between Tsunade and Naruto and yelled:

"GUESS WHAT! Me and Kakashi have been going out behind your back for TWO AND A HALF YEARS!! Want me to prove it to you? Here!" She reached and grabbed Kakashi by the arm and kissed him. Kakashi, surprised at first, quickly got over his shock and kissed Sakura even more passionately than she kissed him, dipping her down until her short hair touched the street. When they broke their embrace and looked around them, everyone was standing shock-still, their jaws dropped. Wel, except for Neji and TenTen, who already knew. Neji looked bored while TenTen kept sneaking him sidelong glances that said, _You can do that to ME if you want._

Kakashi put an arm around Sakura's waist as she breathed heavily, relieved to get THAT off her chest. "Uh, not that I'm complaining, but what happened to breaking it to them gently, sweetie?"

It was at the word _sweetie_, that Tsunade asked in a low voice, "You've been doing this for...how long?"

Sakura fidgeted under her master's gaze, "Um...two and half years...last week."

Naruto broke the silence the second time, "Oh my gosh."

Almost instantaneously, everyone started talking at once. Ino was hugging Sakura saying how happy she was and at the same time what a skank that Sakura was. Shizune joined in on the hug, chattering about how wonderful true love was, etc, etc. Temari was informing Kakashi just how much of a pedophile he was in her own loving way. Shikamaru was in the back of the crowd, muttering how troublesome birthdays were. Jiraiya was clapping Kakashi on the back, saying, "Good job!". Naruto was shouting exclamations at both Sakura and Kakashi at the same time. Iruka said nothing, but smiled a little. Everyone was talking and yelling at once. TenTen was astonished at how much attention Sakura and Kakashi was getting, so she stood up and yelled, "Me and Neji have been going out for months behind your backs!"

Everyone paused to stare at TenTen. "Yeah, that's no surprise." "We already knew that!" "You guys just aren't any good at keeping secrets."

TenTen's shoulders fell. Neji put his arm around her tentatively. "It's okay," he told her, "It's a surprise to me." He didn't get anymore out before TenTen launched herself at him, kissing him all over his face. He tried to fight her at first, but eventually he gave in and began kissing her as passionately as she him.

Kakashi finally cleared his throat and pushed his way over to Sakura through the crowd, "Well, now that that's over with," He said, looking Sakura straight in the eye, "I have something to say," He got down on one knee and took out the little velvet box that had been sitting in his pocket all day and opened it. A beautiful diamond ring was nestled in the velvet. "Sakura," his voice cracked on her name. Kakashi cleared his throat again, "Will you marry me?"

Sakura couldn't move. Her whole body shook. She could barely believe it. Everything around her seemed to fade away except for Kakashi, kneeling there before her, holding out that little velvet box, and that sparkling ring. Tears filled her eyes. She was so happy. If Kakashi hadn't come along and healed her heart, she would still be stuck on Sasuke and his betrayal. There was nothing but pain and loneliness down that road. But now Sakura could see her future with. It was happy and bright. She could just see their children now. Sakura knew what her answer was.

"Yes," she whispered, sinking into Kakashi's arms. He hugged her tightly, relief flooding his mind. She said yes! He felt like crying. Well, not now, the guys were around. He wasn't going to cry in front of the guys. But, still...Yes! Kakashi wanted to yell and dance and sing for the joy of it. He would never be lonely again. Nothing in the world mattered to Kakashi except Sakura right now. Nothing.

People were crowding around the happy couple, shouting congratulations and yelling, but Sakura and Kakashi couldn't hear any of them. They only saw and heard and felt each other.

"I love you," Kakashi whispered in Sakura's ear.

"I know," Sakura replied, "I can feel it right here." She placed Kakashi's hand over her heart. He smiled at her, knowing that he was the happiest person alive rigt at that moment.

"Thank you," Sakura said, burying her face into Kakashi's neck.

"For what?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura looked up at him, "For the love that healed me. For your healing love."


End file.
